Garment supporter



June 15, 1937. A. c. WURTZER GARMENT SUPPORTER Filed April 12, 1955 INVENTOR. J1 ZIyaG C7. fiu'fier,

Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES GARMENT SUPPORTER August 0. Wurtzer, Oatonsville, Md.

Application April 12,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in garment supporters, and has particular reference to means for engaging a garment near its edge to connect the garment with some other portion of the clothing of the wearer, for supporting such garment in position. More particularly, my invention relates to a supporter which, while useful for other garment supporting purposes, is particularly adapted for supporting silk stockings in such manner as to prevent injury thereto under strains caused by body movements of the wearer.

In the use of stocking supporters of the ordinary type heretofore in use, it has been found that they either clamp the garment in an objectionable manner and at a restricted point so that they physically strain and weaken the garment, or they clamp or hold the garment in such manner that strains upon the garment, such as a delicate stocking, are produced through body movements of the wearer, whereby the garment is liable to be torn or strained so as to cause runs or other injuries.

. One object of my invention is to provide a garment supporter which will obviate these objections in. a simple and effective manner.

.Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a garment supporter which has a broad or expanded bearing on the garment, so as to prevent physical injury thereto by the clamping action, and Whichconforms to the shape of the part of the body encased by the garment, so that an effective bearing support will be given to prevent strainson and .injury to the garment due to body movements.

. Still another object of the invention is to provide aggarment supporter having a novel garment engagingor clamping action, whereby the garment will be securely held and prevented from moving independently and becoming injured thereby.

.Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a .garment supporter having a suspender end or garment engaging section which may be substituted in a readyand convenient manner vfor'a suspender end of ordinary type of a garment supporter already in use.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafterfully described and claimed, reference being .had to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a view in rear elevation showing the applicatlonof. my invention to agarment.

1935, Serial No. 16,100

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively rear and front elevations of the clasp detached from the garment.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs. 5 and 6 showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the clasp shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are views corresponding to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, showing still another modified form of my invention.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a supporter, or more particularly stated, a suspender end for a supporter, comprising a flex ible suspending member 1, of fabric or other suitable material, which is adapted for attachment to a strap or band 2 forming a part of the supporter proper, such as a belt, or a supporting member adapted for attachment to a convenient portion of the clothing of the wearer. A suspending loop 3, of novel construction, is provided at the upper end of the member I for attaching it to the lower looped end 4 of the band 2, which looped end 4 may be of a character formed by an adjusting and clamping slide 5 of any known type. The loop 3 is preferably formed of spring wire, the lower or forward side of which is continuous and provided with an offset retaining portion 6 with which the member I is engaged and the rear or upper side of which is transversely split to provide a gap 1 formed by the spaced terminals of the wire, which gap 1 is located at one side of the vertical center of the loop andis of a definite width. This construction of the loop 3 adapts itto be applied to the looped portion 4 of a supporter strap 2 to which an ordinary type of garment engaging or suspender end is attachedupon the removal of such ordinary type of suspender end, by simply introducing the loop 4 into the loop 3 through the gap 1 until it is fully engaged with the split side of the loop ,3. The purpose of disposing the gap 1 at one side of the vertical center of the loop 3 is to enable this engaging action to be effected even when the band} isapproximately of the same width as the width of the loop 3, which could not be effected because of the degree of buckling of the band 2 required if the gap 1 were located at the center of the loop i. By disposing this gap 1 at oneside of the center of the loop 3, one edge of theband 2 maybe inserted through the gap it will only be necessary to bend or buckle a relatively small portion of the band 2 to introduce its opposite edge through the gap under the shorter terminal arm of the loop 3, as will be readily understood, whereby a convenient application of the suspender end to the band may be effected without removing the member 4.

The member I is composed of front and rear elements or straps 8 and 9, the former of somewhat greater length than the latter. The lower or free end of the member 8 carries a clamping member ii], while the lower or free end of the strap 9 carries a coacting keeper member H, which members i and II are adapted to lie respectively on the outer and inner sides of the stocking l2 or other member to be supported and to clamp the same therebetween. The keeper member II is preferably formed of a single piece of spring wire and comprises a lower elongated or oblong rectangular keeper loop portion [3 and an upper substantially triangular suspending loop portion IA. The loop portion I4 is formed by the ends of the wire which are spaced at their points of juncture With the loop l3 to provide a clamping throat or gap l5 joining the space bounded by the loops with each other and mutually splitting said loops at their adjoining sides. The loop I4 is completed by the terminals of the wire which are spaced to provide a split cross bar which is engaged with a hem It at the lower end of the strap 9, the construction being such that the ends I? of the wire normally abut. By this construction the sides of the loop 14 are adapted to spread and expand the loop under pressure and to contract and constrict the loop when pressure is removed therefrom.

The clamping member comprises a rear body plate i8 and a front plate-like finger piece H9. The finger piece [9 is joined at its lower or forward edge to the plate I8 by a connecting rib 20. The plate i8 is of greater length than depth or width and is generally of elliptical form, and said plate and the keeper loop l3 are curved transversely or in the direction of their major axes on an arc conforming generally to the curvature of the leg or portion of the body encased by the garment, so as to provide a broad bearing surface to increase the clamping action and to prevent undue pressure of the supporter on the body of the wearer. The rib 20 extends medially of the plate IS in the direction of length of the latter and divides said plate l8 into a forwardly extending tongue portion 2| and a rearwardly extending bearing and retaining portion 22. The portion 22 is spaced from the finger piece I9 to form an intervening groove or recess in which the free edge of the member 8 is received and suitably fastened and confined.

In engaging the supporter with the upper edge of the garment l2, the upper edge of the garment is introducd between the clamping member I0 and the keeper member II and the tongue part 2! of the clamping member is then engaged with the garment and moved downwardly and rearwardly into the loop I3, thereby carrying a portion of the garment through the loop l3 to the rear thereof and causing a part of said portion to be clamped against the lower cross bar of the loop [3. The member ID in this operation is also tilted rearwardly so as to bring the upper or rear edge of the plate 22 to lie in rear of the plane of the split upper cross bar of the loop I3. The

rear edges of the part 22 of the plate [8 are thus brought in position to be drawn by an upward pull on the strap 8 to overlie or overlap the branches of said upper cross bar of the loop l3, whereby the clamping member II] is arranged to lie wholly at the gear of the loop l3 and to be disposed in locked engagement therewith in such manner that it can only be released by a combined tilting and sliding movement which is the reversal of its introducing movement. In order to secure further assurance against accidental release of the clamping member from the keeper member, the part 22 is provided with a locking lug or projection 23, which, in the final upward sliding movement of the plate l8 into engaging position, is drawn into the throat I5 of the loop I4, of the keeper member. The width of this lug 23 is such that it engages the sides of this throat and spreads the split branches of the loop i i, thus placing said branches under spring tension to frictionally grip the lug 23 and provide a. further locking. connection. The finger piece i9 is preferably of truncate triangular form and of a depth to extend upwardly beyond the part 22 of plate l8, so that it will form an ornamental adjunct to the supporter, and at the same time provide a gripping surface of sufficient extent to enable it to be conveniently gripped for tilting and otherwise manipulating the clamping plate l8.

,When the stocking or other garment is thus clamped between the two members l0 and II it Will be held firmly by and between elements giving a broad bearing on and clamping a large extent of surface of the garment, and at the same time giving a large extent of bearing against the part of the body of the wearer encased by the garment, thus preventing any liability of independent shifting of the clamped garment portion in the clamp or strain upon the garment at any restricted point, as in supporters of ordinary construction. Hence the supporter may be used to clamp even sheer silk stockings of the most delicate type without liability of tearing the same or of causing strains leading to runs or other imperfections in the garment.

The clamping member IQ of the garment may be made of metal, bone, celluloid, galalith or any other suitable material and in any color or finish and may be made as ornamental as desired.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, the construction of the device is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, except that the lug 23 is omitted and the upper or rear edge of the part the construction of the parts is also generally the,

same as in Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive. This form of the invention shown in Figs. 10 to 12, inclusive, is similar to that shown in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, so far as the omission of the lug 23 is concerned, and it also diifers therefrom in the shape of the upper edge of the part I8b', which extends on the arc of an ellipse, thus providing inclined Wedging or cam surfaces 23?) having the same 22a of the plate I8a which laps over upon the binding effect on the sides of the loop M as the parts 23a to give a spring binding and locking action.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, the construction,

mode of operation and advantages of my improved garment supporter will be readily understood without a further and extended description, and it will be seen that a device of this character is provided which is simple of construction, reliable and eflicient in action and which is adapted to effectually overcome the stated objections to prior devices of its kind. While the constructions disclosed are preferred, it will, of course, be understood that Changes in the form, proportions and details of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A garment supporter comprising a suspending element formed of flexible members, a keeper element on one of said members having a keeper loop continuous at one side thereof and split at the opposite side thereof and a suspending loop, and a clamping element on the other of said members adapted for sliding and tilting engagement with the keeper loop and embodying a finger piece and a clamping member, the latter having a tongue part to engage under the continuous side of the keeper loop and a retaining part to enter between and spread the divisions of the split of the suspending loop to place the same under a holding tension.

2. A garment supporter comprising a suspending element formed of flexible members, a keeper element on one of said members having a keeper loop continuous at one side thereof and split at the opposite side thereof and a suspend- 4 ing loop, and a clamping element on the other of said members adapted for sliding and tilting engagement with the keeper loop and embodying a finger piece and a clamping member, the latter having a tongue part to engage under the con- 5 tinuous side of the keeper loop and a lug to engage between the divisions of the split side of the keeper loop to spread the same for a resilient interlocking connection between the same and the lug.

3. A garment supporter comprising a suspending element formed of flexible members, a keeper element on one of said members including an oblong rectangular keeper loop, and a clamping element on the other of said members adapted for sliding and tilting engagement with the keeper loop and embodying a body plate and a finger piece arranged in rear of the body plate in spaced relation thereto and projecting upwardly above the plane of the upper edge of the body plate, the lower edge of the'finger piece being joined by a forwardly projecting transverse rib to the intermediate portion of the body plate, said body plate having an elliptically curved tongue part projecting downwardly below the rib and lower edge of the finger piece to engage over the bottom of the keeper at the front of the keeper loop and a retaining part lying opposite the finger piece to engage the top of the keeper loop at the front of said loop, the said clamping member being free from projections in rear of the tongue part below the plane of the finger piece and rib to permit the insertion and withdrawal of the tongue and retaining parts into and from the keeper loop and, pivotal movements of the clamping element in said loop.

4. A garment supporter comprising a suspending element formed of flexible members, a keeper element on one of said members having a suspending loop connected therewith and also having a resilient keeper loop split at its top, and a clasp upon the other member embodying a body plate and a finger piece arranged in parallel planes, said finger piece being connected at its forward edge by a transverse rib with the medial portion of the clamping plate and dividing the same into a tongue portion projecting beyond said forward edge of the finger piece to engage over the forward side of the bottom of the keeper loop and a retaining portion lying opposite said finger piece to engage between and spread the divisions of the split portion of the suspending loop, said tongue portion having its free edge curved on the arc of an ellipse.

AUGUST C. WUR'IZER. 

